Wellness Specialist-Peer Professional

BRIDGEWAY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICES•Elmwood Park, NJ

10h•$44,000 - $51,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Wellness Specialist-Peer Professional is part of a multidisciplinary core services team providing wellness assessment and direct services to people with serious mental illness enrolled in the PACT Program. The role supports individuals’ recovery journeys and community integration through peer-informed engagement, skill development, wellness education, crisis response, service coordination, and assistance accessing basic needs and community resources. The position is with PACT 9, based in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, serving Bergen County, and works Sunday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with rotating 24-hour on-call coverage and immediate response by phone or in person. The specialist contributes to ongoing mental health assessment, psychosocial and comprehensive assessments, individualized recovery planning, and timely documentation that meets DMHAS and Medicaid standards. The position works with individuals, families, significant others, the multidisciplinary team, and community providers, using evidence-based practices and the peer perspective to support recovery, wellness, and inclusion. Bridgeway describes its environment as team-oriented and supportive of creativity, innovation, professional growth, diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree is preferred; demonstrated volunteer or paid experience working with individuals with serious and persistent mental illness may substitute for the degree for a person who is receiving or has received mental health services.
A valid driver’s license is required.
No more than one moving violation within the past 12 months.
A vehicle is required.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Participate in frequent team monitoring and assessment of individuals’ mental health status and related circumstances, including significant others, home, and community.
Contribute to psychosocial and comprehensive assessments and individualized recovery plans, and complete timely, quality documentation in accordance with DMHAS and Medicaid standards.
Participate in clinical and non-clinical team meetings and individual and team supervision, and actively seek monthly supervision from a supervisor.
Teach skills that support individualized recovery and community integration, and provide a peer perspective during team meetings and interactions.
Use clinically appropriate disclosure of personal life experience to enhance engagement and validation.
Assist individuals in securing safe, clean, affordable housing, food, clothing, medical and dental services, and appropriate financial support.
Observe and report individuals’ stated concerns, mental illness symptoms, and responses to medication; monitor medication side effects during observed self-administration and ongoing face-to-face contacts.
Coordinate services with community mental health and non-mental health providers and other medical professionals.
Link individuals to entitlement benefits and public assistance, including Medicaid/NJFamilyCare, Social Security, rental assistance, transportation, social services, and legal advocacy and representation.
Provide in-home and community-based instruction and support, including problem solving, skill development, modeling, and supervision related to personal hygiene, household chores, money management, community transportation, and housing.
Provide symptom assessment and management, medication monitoring and education, and side-effect monitoring for individuals and, with consent, their families or significant others.
Provide wellness education and cognitive/behavioral interventions related to nutrition, diet, exercise, stress reduction, and other wellness tools.
Respond rapidly and flexibly to crises, including accompanying individuals to screening or psychiatric emergency centers and remaining with them during assessment.
Use Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) and develop Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP) and Psychiatric Advance Directives, including stage-wise treatment using motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral interventions, and teaching strategies.
Provide rotating 24-hour on-call coverage and respond immediately to individuals by phone or in person.
Use assigned evidence-based practices, which may include motivational interviewing, IDDT, CBT skills, IMR, Trauma Informed Care, Permanent Supportive Housing, and Career Development.
Provide team members with technical assistance and education on recovery and wellness, and work with the team to develop wellness teaching materials and strategies, including WRAP, instilling hope, promoting choice and empowerment, and spirituality.
Support individuals in finding and maintaining employment and/or education or training.
Support individuals’ families and social networks in managing symptoms and related consequences, reducing illness-related stress, achieving wellness, and building positive, supportive relationships.